A PMD Fic: Against All Odds
by numbertheory1000
Summary: A human-transformed charmander woke up in a perilous world to find himself wedged between two factions of humans and pokemon in war, wrestling for control of the ancient land both claim their home. Worse still, in order to uncover the truth behind his transformation, he must withstand many difficulties, raiding dungeons and cheating deaths. Can he brave the odds and succeed?
1. Prologue 1

**Author's note: Hi to everyone out there! The story is a PMD fic, but it doesn't follow the game storyline. If you find any spelling/grammatical/continuity errors, please don't hesitate to review to let me know the mistakes I have done. That being said, enjoy the fanfiction!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the pokemon franchise.**

Prologue 1

Ace's POV

I stared in awe as an arched gateway appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Just a few paces in front of me, Dialga let loose a deafening bellow which threatened to bring the roof of the Hall of Origin crashing down upon us. The legendary dragon pokemon glowed metallic blue as the gateway started to hum with energy and gave off an ethereal hue of light blue.

"It's almost time," I muttered and took a step towards Dialga.

The dragon pokemon gave me a curt nod. "The fate of our world rests upon your shoulders. Do not fail, lest both of our kinds wreck irreparable damage upon the world and life as we know it cease to exist." His voice rang in my head. I knew he was speaking to me telepathically, a trait which distinguished legendary pokemon from ordinary ones.

"We will keep an eye on you. Everything will turn out just as planned." Standing beside Dialga was Palkia, who spoke with such conviction in his voice that for a spilt second I really thought that my plans would prevail before the sense of logic cruelly tugged at the back of my mind. Even if I managed to keep myself alive throughout the mission, my odds of success were minimal.

I gave Palkia a dry smile, nonetheless. I was now their last glimmer of hope, a bright beacon of light that would potentially lead them out of this predicament, provided I found a way to protect the flame from being snuffed out in the midst of this torrential storm.

Palkia sighed as if he could read my mind. He turned to address all the legendaries who had gathered below the grand podium. "My fellow pokemon, today we convene to witness an event which could change the course of history, that of pokemon and humans alike." Many pokemon scowled at the mention of the word "humans", as if it is cursed, and some sweared under their acted as if he had seen nothing, and continued, "True to the words of the Great Prophecy," he directed his glance towards the intricate writings carved upon the walls of the Hall of Origin, "we are on the road towards an inevitable clash between pokemon and humans, of which tension has built up over the years and is now nearing its breaking point. A war … is inevitable, and when that comes to pass, the world as we know it will cease to exist."

The legendaries taking their seats below gave out a collective sigh of despair. All of them looked deflated. The atmosphere in the hall was eerily quiet and heavy, which I could tell from the solemn look in Groudon's eyes. It was a rare moment when he stopped bickering with Kyogre, who looked just as somber. Two seats away from them, Jirachi, the usual bringer of happiness and joy to the hall, gazed at Palkia, her gaze unfocused as if she was trapped in a trance.

Palkia glanced around and regretted the fact that his speech had done nothing to raise his comrades' morale. " However,"he continued, "there's still hope. Our last hope rests upon Ace who has agreed to take on this risky mission to restore order…" His voice trailed away as he noticed that no one was paying attention.

Dialga let loose another bellow which snapped all the pokemon out of their trancelike state. "What's happening to all of you, seriously? As legendaries, there's nothing we can do to help! All of you guys know pretty well that the laws of origin forbid us from directly meddling in this affair. So I say, SNAP OUT OF THIS ALREADY!" As Dialga spoke, I couldn't help but notice his bitter tone. It was true that legendary pokemon were not allowed to intervene in any worldly affairs in strict accordance to the so called "Laws of origin" laid down since the beginning of time. The laws were inscribed on pillars in the Hall of Origin and were prudently observed by all the legendary pokemon ever existed. Nobody knew what would happen if the heavenly law was broken.

I bit my lip. If the pokemon I had worked so hard for months with had little hope that the plan we concocted would succeed, then how would I find the strength to carry on? I broke the silence.

"My fellow friends," I began, but was immediately frowned upon by many of them. I sighed and continued, "I know many of you believe that there is no chance for humans and pokemon to co-exist. It is common knowledge that humans were said to have a cold heart while pokemon, on the other hand, were claimed by humans to have a hot head and harbour a grudge towards them for no particular reason." "Well, best to my knowledge," I added when some of the legendaries stared daggers at me. "But is it really that difficult for humans and pokemon to get along? For the past three months, I have worked closely with each and every of you and you are the most level-headed creatures I have ever worked with, and you know better if I am a cold-hearted person or not," I paused. Some of the pokemon averted their gazes while many of them hang their heads in shame. "We are the perfect counterexamples to this ridiculous claim," I continued. "If anyone can prevent the clash between humans and pokemon, it has to be us. Please don't give up hope," I concluded with more confidence.

The hall remained silent, but not for long. A single cheer broke across the hall, and it soon spreaded contagiously until the whole hall erupted in cheers.

"You have spoken true to your heart. Thank you, human." Palkia's voice boomed in my head. I merely nodded. That was the least I could do.

"It's time," Dialga reminded.

I took a last glance at the ornately decorated Hall of Origin and made a silent promise to return before taking the fateful step into the Passage of Time. Behind me, choruses of "All hail the peace bringer!" still echoed across the hall.


	2. Prologue 2

**Author's Note: Wow, guess what? My first review and follower in mere hours after this fanfic is posted! Never expected it at all. Thanks to silveriolu for the review! :)**

**Here is prologue two, I am sorry if you find it boring, but things will move at a faster pace afterwards. Enjoy!**

Prologue 2

Ace's POV

I felt the world spinning around me as I tumbled through the passage of time. Immediately, I knew that something had gone horribly wrong. According to Dialga, my journey through the passage of time shouldn't even last a second seeing that I was only travelling through a short stretch of time. A moment of realization struck me. Could it ever possible be….?_ No, no,_ I immediately reassured myself. _Dialga was the master of the timestream, nothing could ever possibly go wrong._ I repeated this logical argument many times in my head as I resisted every instinctive urge to give up hope and allow panic to take over.

As I picked up speed and hurtled farther through the passage of time, I felt the air rushed out of my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath. The difference in air pressure caused by the high velocity of the winds rushing past me had prevented my lungs from taking in any gasp of air. I tried to hold my breath for as long as possible but every cell in my body protested in agony and craved for the much-needed oxygen to sustain my life.

"Help!" I yelped as my lungs screamed for air.

"Hang in there!" A voice rang in my head, " The fate of the world rests upon your shoulders."

"But, I can't," I stammered, wincing as my body convulsed in pain. "Sorry but I have failed you, Dialga and Palkia…"

I felt my body falling apart. I could no longer open my eyes. Around me, the fierce winds howled as they battered against my body harder, ready to claim their victim.

Against my will, tears began streaming down my cheeks, as I contemplated how much longer I was left to live. My life was now measured in minutes, if not seconds.

True enough, a shroud of darkness soon descended upon me. With ever-increasing speed, it smothered my thoughts and soon snuffed out the bright flame of my consciousness.

And then there was nothing…..

As if being jolted back to life, a sharp tingle was sent through my senses and I immediately regained control of my thoughts. Strangely enough, I didn't feel the piercing pain I experienced before my awakening anymore.

As weird as it may seem, I could not feel my body. Wait, did my physical being even exist? I must be dead already at this stage, was this really how you feel after you died? Was I a spirit?

I could sense nothing but darkness around me. I extended a tendril of thought and pushed it out with all my might, yet... there was nothing out there. Panic started to well up within me as I considered the possibility of me being trapped like this forever.

"Welcome, little one. I have awaited your presence for a long time. There's nothing to worry, nobody will hurt you here." A melodious voice rang in my head after what seemed like hours.

"Who…who are you?" I stammered, "Do I know you?" A sudden realization struck me. "Are you a grim reaper? I must be dead by now. Are you coming to claim my soul? If it is so, can you be gentle? My pain threshold is fairly low, you know?" I added, hoping to avoid the inevitable.

The voice rang again, this time with affection and admiration. "Don't worry, you are not dead _yet_. And I am not a grim reaper either. You are a brave hero, my dear. I will let you go in a few moments, but I must ask you a few questions first."

I felt my initial fear subsided somehow. My instincts told me that it was safe to trust the owner of the disembodied voice, but I hesitated for a moment. If she had the ability to override the time master's abilities and sent me here, then she was not the one I wanted to trifle with. "You haven't told me who you are yet," I said tentatively.

A chuckle emanated from the deep space, "My dear, I am afraid I might overload the little brain of yours if I am to give you the full description of who I am. Sometimes, even I myself cannot fathom my own existence," she sighed wearily. "Anyway, you can regard me as a higher being beyond your comprehension for now," she added.

_That made sense. Anyone in her position should be able to bypass the ability of the Time Master with ease._ I thought.

"Alright, it is now time for you to tell me about yourself. Hmm, let's start with this, do you see yourself as an outgoing person? Don't think about it, follow your instincts and just answer," she advised.

"I ... I am quite a shy person. I don't have many friends," I admitted. "I prefer to do things alone. I guess I don't feel comfortable enough to open up to those around me."

"I see." The voice was thoughtful. "You might be a shy person, but you secretly yearn for a friend who is always there for you, right? To quell your fear, or just to give you the push to carry on with life whenever you need it."

I startled. The words had captured me perfectly. "How would... would you know?" I asked.

"It is not that hard actually. It is all in your heart." Came the reply.

"Now, answer me, little one, do you strive for perfection?"

" I...I do," I answered timidly.

"I know there are times I should just let things rest, yet I always want to make sure that I have put in all my effort. Maybe this is why I don't have many friends. I cannot seem to agree with them how things ought to be done, I... I think that they are too sloppy , maybe…, maybe this is the reason…" I added uncertainly.

"No, no, striving for perfection is not a bad thing. I am sure your friends are just having difficulties to understand you. Now comes my last question. I understand that you have undertaken a perilous quest to travel back in time just to avoid the inevitable, that is to diffuse the hatred between humans and pokemon, and thus preventing the war, right?"

"Yes. How do you know it?" I asked before realized that I was being stupid. Surely she would know what I was up to. It was not like she decided to kidnap me and transfer me across spacetime just to have a nice little chat with me.

"You know that there's no way to change what the Great Prophecy foretell, do you? Why do you try so hard?" Came a surprisingly soft whisper.

"Because I won't know whether I will succeed or not before I give it a try! If everyone is thinking like this and nobody is willing to give it a try, then I say that we have doomed our world to certain destruction! How can I possibly do that?" I spoke, now with more conviction in my voice.

"I see. Thanks for answering my questions truthfully. Take a good long rest for now." The gentle voice rang.

A sudden lethargy washed over me and my consciousness started to dim out.

"What's happening? Why am I …."

"Hmm, a human with enough determination to make Azelf proud, he has a clear sense of purpose, which is to be expected of any hero, but surprisingly, a heart of gold. What pokemon should you be, this is going to be difficult…"

"Well, I can only think of one pokemon which match your personality, you will be a charmander, the hardy pokemon. You might not know it yet, but I am certain there is something inside your heart which is special and no one else possesses. Is it your defiance in face of a certain truth, or is it your selflessness, willing to give something a go although it means putting your life in danger? Or is it just the right mix of both? Hmm, honestly, not even I know. But know this, your tail flame might be small now, but someday it might be the only beacon of hope, human and pokemon alike, will cling to."

"Sleep well, little one. And good luck. May you _ace_ your mission."


	3. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Since I am feeling particularly inspired, I manage to churn out another chapter today :) Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave your reviews!**

Chapter 1 -A Meeting

Ace's POV

"Hey, are you okay?" I felt a gentle nudge on my arms.

"Ugh…" Annoyed at such a rude awakening, I curled myself into a ball and assumed the fetal position. For some reasons, I was feeling extremely vulnerable and all I wanted to do was to retreat back into a deep slumber.

"You have been unconscious for ten hours already, or even longer. Are you sure that you are alright?"

"Huh, really?" Unwillingly, I tried to get up, using my arms for support. Somehow, they felt different, was it just my imagination, or my arms were shorter?

"I am glad that you are finally awake." Judging from the voice, I guessed the speaker was a female.

I opened my eyes and to my amazement a pikachu was standing right in front of me. She was about the same height as me, which honestly, did startled me. _Since when do these cuddly creatures grow to human height?_ I thought. However, upon closer inspection, I had to admit that she looked kinda.. cute. She had quite a slender built, but alongside her body hung two disproportionately stubby arms. Above the two red sacs on her cheek,a trademark of pikachu, two gleaming eyes rest. Moments ago they must had been filled with worries but as soon as I woke up her eyes radiated happiness. I felt a blush starting to form on my cheeks as she bent down and took a closer look at me.

_Wait, can pokemon talk to humans?_ "Wow, you can talk!" I exclaimed, "Do you know telepathy?"

She eyed me with concern, "Of course I can talk, I am a pokemon, right? So are you."

"You must be kidding me. This is impossible." I waved my hands dismissively, but to my horror, my hands, well…, they were no longer there. All I could see was an orange paw.

To add to my horror, I made two more discoveries which almost made me faint on the spot.

A)I somehow sprouted a tail.

B)My tail was on fire.

"Wha… HELP!" I screamed frantically and rolled my body on the ground, trying desperately to put the flame out. I could feel my strength ebbing away at an alarming rate, which convinced me even further that I would be dead very soon if I couldn't find a way to extinguish the flame on my tail.

"Are you crazy?" I felt a rough tackle to my belly as the pikachu pinned me to the ground. "Why are you trying to kill yourself?" she said incredulously. "You should know full well that you dies when your flame is extinguished, or are you even a charmander?" she added uncertainly.

I took a closer look at myself and slumped to the ground. "True, I..I am a charmander now," I stammered, disbelieving. My cheeks started to sting as I realized that I had made a total fool out of myself just now.

"But, but.. this is impossible!" I said.

"What is impossible?" inquired the pikachu.

"It might be hard for you to believe but I was a human! Somehow, I am transformed into a charmander."

_Wait, why am I even here?_ I tried to access my memory but was shocked to draw a blank. My mind was just being … wiped clean? I couldn't remember a single thing about my past.

"Do you just mentioned human?" the pikachu asked. For a short moment, I noticed that her eyes had narrowed to two slits, and I could sense the pent-up anger within her, as though humans were the single cause of all the resentment she bore on her shoulders. However, she quickly regained her composure.

She tried to stifle a chuckle when she spoke to me. "I am sure you have a really fertile imagination. Not many pokemon have such great story-telling ability," she said, with obvious sarcasm in her voice.

"I am telling the truth! Look, the thing is I don't have any recollection of being a human but I am very sure of the fact that I was one before I was somehow magically transformed into a charmander. You are the first pokemon I came along when I woke up, please believe in me! If even you wouldn't believe in what I say, who would?" I pleaded imploringly, and shuddered at the thought of having to be trapped in the body of a charmander and living the rest of my life as an outcast.

"You better shut up about the fact that you are a human already," she said. I could feel her anger shimmering. " I will zap you into oblivion if you ever mention the word human again." As she was speaking, she dropped to all four on her legs and assumed an offensive stance, wanting me to see that she meant her words.

I gulped. I didn't really want to take a thunderbolt to my face. I figured it was best for me to stay silent.

A few moments later, maybe after deciding that I would not bring up the topic again, she turned her back to me and marched away. Not even turning back to take a last look at me, she said, "Farewell, charmander. Until we meet again."

_Great, the first pokemon I meet threatened to zap me to death._ I thought. _Not exactly a good start, huh?_ I chuckled silently to myself.

The pikachu was just a few feet away from me when a high-pitch screech broke out, which was followed by the rustle of the leaves on a nearby tree. My instincts screamed at me to get to safety. I was prepared to scramble away when I noticed the pikachu's face turned a grisly shade of pale. Three beedrills sprung from their hiding spot on the tree and formed a tight circle around her, effectively cutting all her escape routes.

I could have made a run for my life but I chose not to. Instead, I hid in a bush nearby, and waited until I had my best shot to take down the beedrills. I might be out of my mind, but I was sure that unless I did something, the pikachu would not escape unscathed.

"You mischievous little brat, well done for keeping us on the chase for days, but your time is over now!" a beedrill snarled.

"Now, you will come peacefully," another beedrill, apparently the leader of the trio said. "Do not inflict even more unnecessary agony to the all of us, and don't even think of trying anything stupid, or else…." he said menacingly, all the while brandishing her sting and aimed it at the poor pikachu.

With lightning speed, the pikachu unleashed a thundershock which hit one of the beedrill not fast enough to swerve away from the path of the fatal bolt. The beedrill dropped to the ground, his wings charred as a yellow arc of lightning coursed through his body. The rest of the two merely sidestepped the attack, as though they have expected it from the beginning.

"Very well, we can play this speed game, if it is all you want," the leader said. With unbelievable speed, the two remaining beedrills converged upon the pikachu. Apparently, the pikachu realized that her time was over and was now cowering on the ground, her eyes pleading desperately for mercy.

_How wonderful will it be if I can breathe fire,_ I thought gloomily. It would certainly come in handy in this situation. Only one problem, though, I hadn't even the slightest idea on how to do so. As I was busy figuring out other possible alternatives, I felt something stirred inside me. I felt a stinging sensation in my belly as a surge of energy rushed through my entire body to my jaws, ready to escape their confines.

Meanwhile, the beedrills had already unleashed their first wave of fury attacks and were now taking up their positions again to deal one final blow.

I did the only thing I could. I jumped out from my hiding place and opened my jaws, releasing a stream of jet-red ember at the two incoming beedrills. Both of them weren't expecting a surprise ambush attack and were soon showered in my flames. They dropped silently onto the ground after being burnt to a crisp.

I surveyed the damage I had done. _Wow, I didn't think that it was even possible for me to inflict such serious injuries._

The pikachu was already up and standing. She looked alright even though her body bore several scars from the previous attacks. "Come with me," she said, and started tugging me down the road without even asking for my permission. My cheeks blushed slightly from the contact.

"Hey, where are you taking me," I protested.

"I will explain later, but now we will have to put as much distance between us and the beedrills first."

I figured that I was left with no choice but to trust her for now despite the fact that she threatened to zap me to death just minutes ago.

I nodded my agreement and together we ran through the thick forest.


	4. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Here the second chapter of the fanfic, enjoy!**

Chapter 2- A Pikachu Tale

Liz's POV

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, with the charmander I had just known moments ago trailing close behind. Our heavy footsteps echoed throughout the forest.

_It is all my fault. There is no turning back now_. I thought bitterly. Now that the charmander had openly engaged the beedrills in a battle and beaten them to a pulp, he might as well send up a bright flare up into the night sky and announced openly to the world that he sided with me, which was a very bad thing seeing that I was a fugitive with a bounty on my capture.

"Hey, how far…do we still need.. need to go？？?" The charmander panted, obviously close to the point of running out of steam.

"Can't you keep up with the pace?" I grumbled，，, "We have our lives on the line!"

"I… I am still not getting used to my new body. I cannot… continue anymore," he said, "haven't I knocked the air out the beedrills' lungs already?"

"More will come," I said simply.

We continued to trudge through the difficult terrain, accumulating small scratches and bruises along the way as the sun sank lower and lower into the horizon. Finally, seeing that it would do us more harm than good if we continued our journey late into the night, I relented and decided to call it a day.

_They aren't able to keep up with us_, I thought, _at least for now_. We could really use some good rest, considering the distance we had covered in the last few hours.

"It's … finally over. Phew, just when I thought my legs are going to turn into jelly." The charmander breathed a sigh of relief, obviously feeling delighted that his ordeal was over.

But I knew we couldn't let our guards down until we have found a hidden shelter. Camping out in the open with an army of hostile pokemon hot on our trail was no different than marching out towards them with a fanfare of trumpets announcing our whereabouts.

"We are not done yet," I told the charmander. "If you don't want to be captured, we need a safe shelter," I said. "Can you see the little cave on the top of the cliff? It's well-hidden and those pokemon coming after us might just overlook it, they will probably think that we have escaped to the valley up ahead. I think we should make our way up there. Come on, move it!"

He refused to budge even an inch and was staring stubbornly at me. "No, I have done enough travelling today. It's time for a rest," he said and proceeded to lay down on the clearing.

"Oh, I don't mind dragging you all the way uphill, you know?" I said nonchalantly, "but you might just want to know that all the jagged rocks on the path will hurt your backside quite a bit."

"Fine! Fine!" he huffed, " The cave it is, then."

Knowing that my strategy had succeeded, I couldn't help but manage a smile.

* * *

I stretched my limbs and rested myself comfortably around the crackling fire which was now burning in the centre of the cavern we were in.

We had made it to the cave just in time. Not a moment after we set foot in the cave, the winds started to howl and soon a torrential downpour followed.

"Looks like you have someone to thank," I said, "the heavy rain outside, without a question, is the last place any fire type want to be in, huh?"

"I don't mind a little rain," he said grumpily.

"Oh, what a rebuttal." I smirked.

"What's your name?" he asked, attempting to change the conversation.

"The name's Liz. What's yours, by the way?"

"I am Ace. That's the only blasted thing I can remember from my past."

"So," he asked cautiously, "Why are the beedrills after you?"

"It's none of your business. Now, if I were you, I would take a good rest. We still have a lot of grounds to cover tomorrow," I said.

"Can't you be more forthcoming? At least I deserve to know why am I dragged into this mess."

"No."

* * *

The morning air was crisp and I felt invigorated with every breathe I took . Around me were large trees, some of which were well over a century old and the air smelt of fresh cheri berries, one of my all-time-favourites when it came to fine dining. Somehow, this place felt oddly familiar to me.

I was trekking through the forest when I noticed a flurry of movement in a hedge nearby. Normally, it would be hard for anyone else to discern such a slight movement, but not me with my practised eyes.

I scanned my surroundings, half-expecting myself to be surrounded by a dozen of battle-ready wild pokemon, but my eyes detected nothing out of the ordinary.

Deciding not to take any risk, I fired a jolt of electricity from my cheeks, and watched as my attack connected with the hedge. A loud squeak echoed through the forest, as a little pichu tumbled out of the bush and landed in front of me.

The unmistakable squeak didn't escape my ears.

"Ro..Rose?" I asked uncertainly.

"You win again, sis. It seems that I can never outsmart you," Rose said sadly as she was getting back on her feet. Nonetheless, she flashed me an impish smile , a deluxe I-will-catch-up-with-you-someday smile, Rose's speciality.

I was at a loss of words. Nothing could describe the sheer joy of seeing my sister alive, especially when I thought I would never see her again.

"Did you escape?" I could only think of this possible scenario.

"What do you mean?" A confused look flashed across her face, as if her capture had never taken place.

"Sis, let's play catch together. This time there is no way I am losing again," she piped suddenly as I was deep in my thoughts. She looked at me in a pleading manner, while her ears twitched slightly in anticipation of my agreement. _Aww_, I thought, _who could have the heart to resist that look?_

"Catch me if you can." She winked at me and sped off into the depth of the forest.

"Hey, wait!" I yelled and took after her. _Well, that's Rose, kids will be kids_, I thought as I was hot in my pursuit.

"Caught ya." I soon found Rose laying on the forest ground, panting as I drew closer. Her endurance was no match for mine.

"Guess what's your punishment will be for trifling with the queen of the woods?" I grinned mischievously as I immobilized her by pinning her legs onto the ground.

"Nothing too bad, I hope?" She laughed nervously.

"Oh, you will love it," I said as I unleashed a tickle frenzy at her sides.

"Please … Stop ... it ..." She managed to squeeze out those words before succumbing to a laughing fit. Peals of laughter erupted from her as I continued with the torture.

But of course I wouldn't. I was having way too much fun doing this. So much so that I didn't notice the two silhouttes creeping through my field of vision.

Out of a sudden, a silver cage materialized out of thin air. I watched in horror as it zoomed across the forest and accelerated in our direction.

"Rose, _run_!" I dove to a side as I yelled at Rose to do the same.

But it was too late. The cage landed upon its target and all I could do was to watch feebly as Rose tried to tackle her way out of the cage.

"Sis, _help_!" She yelled. I ran frantically to her side and added my strength to hers in an effort to tackle the cage open, but to no avail as we didn't even make manage to create a dent.

"Nice catch, mate, we have got a Pichu, it will surely fetch a high price in the market," a human spoke to his partner as both of them emerged from behind a tree.

_They have been watching us… for how long?_ I thought. I was shocked not to notice their presence. My uncanny ability to sense any impending danger had never failed me before.

"Oh! Am I seeing things, or is that a pikachu? I thought they are already hunted to the brink of extinction?"

"You are correct, this must be our lucky day." One of them rubbed their palms together and could hardly contain his excitement when he saw me.

My anger flared up as he stepped closer. I let out a warning growl.

" Houndoom, stand by for battle!" A giant hound leaped out from a small ball the human was carrying. He leaped into the air and with two strides as he was still airborne, he covered the distance between us in about two seconds and landed in front of me. There was a malicious glint in his eyes as he readied his flamethrower.

I was rivetted to the ground, paralysed by fear. I closed my eyes as the houndoom opened his jaws and released a stream of flames at me.

But the pain I expected never came.

* * *

I awoke with a start, still trembling in fear although I knew what I had experienced moments ago was just a bad dream.

Ace looked at me anxiously. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I struggled to stand still as images from the dream were still whirring through my mind. Every time the heart-wrenching memory surfaced to the forefront of my consciousness, I have tried my best to ignore it but this time it was too much for me. My emotions swelled and burst forth like opened floodgates.

For the first time in my life, I broke down in tears. Utterly.

I felt a gentle pat on my right shoulder. Ace was looking very concerned now.

"Tell me what had happened. Perhaps I could help," he said softly. From his eyes, I could tell that his intention was genuine.

I gazed at the charmander standing in front of me. I had threatened to hurt him just because he claimed that he was a human. However, it was not his fault at all as I was the one acting high and mighty all the time. I was a coward who refused to accept the hard facts of life and move on with it. Instead of reconciling myself to my sister's capture, I harped on Ace every single time he mentioned the word "humans". I pigeonholed every human ever in existence in the "bad" category and had been treating Ace as if he was a joke.

_Well, it isn't too late to right your wrongs_, a gentle voice rang in my head. _Apologise to Ace and tell him what's troubling you. He is only trying to help._

_That's right. _I realized. I need someone I could trust, someone I could confide with. More importantly, Ace deserved to know the truth. He had been a trusty companion.

"Ace," I said, "there's something... I have to tell you,"

I told Ace everything. From my upbringing to my sister's capture by the hunters a week ago. As I spoke, two steady stream of tears trickled down my cheeks.

"I managed to escape but was on the run ever since. My species are rare and the humans wouldn't waste any chance to get at me. They sent out their pokemons after me and had even offered a huge amount of money for clues leading to my capture. One of the pokemon of the chase groups told me this... just days ago." I sniffled as I said those words.

Ace was a good listener. He didn't speak a word as I was recounting my tale but I could sense his sympathy towards me.

"I found you yesterday when I was about to break camp and continue on my run. I had been running for three days when I decided that I should take a rest. That's where we met. And from there you know what happened."

"I know I have been treating you badly. I.. I am very sorry for that." I finished my words with a sincere apology.

Ace did something I didn't expect. He wrapped his arm comfortingly around my back. I recoiled initially at the contact, but soon found myself weeping uncontrollably in his laps.

"It's not your fault that all these happened." He brushed my hair gently as he offered those words of solace.

"But…but I could have grabbed her hands the moment I escaped. Or I could have tackled the cage harder. That could have worked," I wailed.

"No, that couldn't have worked. There's nothing anyone can do in your situation," he said firmly, but ever so gently.

"And if you still don't know it, I have forgiven you already. Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, it's the courage to admit that you are wrong that makes you a better pers.. er, i mean pokemon than before," he said.

I was feeling much more better. The grief and emotional pressure I had harboured these days from my sister's capture which manifested itself as a constant throbbing pain at the back of my head began to fade away. I was relieved that the days when I had to silently stifle my feelings but still putting up a tough front as I faced my enemies were finally over.

Then came the awkward moment when I realized that I was in Ace's lap for one straight hour already, which is one hour longer than I should be, seeing that we were just mere acquaintances.

"Well, erm, thank you, Ace," I said as I got up from his laps, my face burning red with embarassment.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

"Yes," I gave him a terse reply.

"Well, that's nothing, that's what friends for, right?" he said in a cheerful tone.

"Friends?" I asked uncertainly. "You… and me?"

"Well, you certainly cannot deny the fact that we have trusted and helped each other out in our journey, although it lasted for less than a day." He chuckled. "I saved you from the beedrills' attack and it was your sound judgement which saved me from a certain but agonising death. If it weren't for your insistence, I would not have found a suitable shelter before the storm."

I felt a pang of guilt when I remembered threatening Ace with a thundershock attack and ended up having him saving me from the beedrills instead.

The storm continued as the night grew older and the temperature in the cave plummeted even further. I saw Ace shivering in cold as a blast of cold air from outside the cave hit him.

"I guess fire types just don't enjoy this cold weather." He smiled when he noticed that I was looking at him.

"Do you mind if we huddle together for warmth?" I spoke those words as quickly as possible before my courage failed me.

He looked surprised, but pleasantly so. He snuggled close to my side and together we slept soundlessly through the stormy night.

**What do you think about this chapter? Actually, I was wanting to upload it yesterday but decided agianst it and edited several parts of the story. I was trying to make the scenes in the story sound less forced and was pleased that the final result turned out to be better than the original chapter. Again, I welcome any reviews, especially constructive criticism.**


	5. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Nothing much to say, except enjoy the third chapter of the fic. :)**

Chapter 3- Lost in The Woods

Ace's POV

"Good morning, Ace," Liz greeted me warmly as I clambered my way out of my makeshift bed, which was a heap of dried leaves gathered from the cave's ground.

"Good morning to you as well." I flashed her my best smile.

A full day had passed since I transformed into a charmander, and by the looks of it, I was not trapped in an illusion or a daydream. I was now left with the mission of unraveling this mystery myself lest I remained trapped in this body for eternity.

"What do you plan to do after this? We can find a safe hideout and stay low for a while until we get rid of the pokemon on our trail, but after that you will have to decide for yourself which way to go," Liz said as I joined her at the cave's entrance.

I didn't answer as I was still pondering my decision. Surely the only sensible thing to do was to set out on a journey to unravel the mysteries about my transformation, but I doubted that my soul-searching journey would be a successful one when I didn't have even the slightest inkling of where I should start and what I should look for. It certainly wouldn't do me any good if I went around pestering other pokemon with silly questions such as "Where am I from?" and "Can you tell me my past?".

This left me with one final option. I could go with Liz and to wherever she desired, learning as much as I could about the world of pokemon, while silently hoping for the day when I would chance upon the solution of this mystery.

I soon made up my mind and decided that it was best for me to tag along with Liz for the moment. It was too dangerous for me to set out on my journey for now. I needed time to get used to my new body and to grow stronger before I could stand up alone against the adversities my new life decided to throw my way.

"I will go with you," I replied. "Until the very end."

"No, you will stay behind after I find us a safe spot. I have some unfinished business to tend to," she said sternly.

I knew what she was about to say.

"I will personally track down Rose's captors and tore the hearts out of their chests. Those bastards needed a lesson in humility and respect for the pokemon species." I could see the resolution which shone through her eyes.

"What if you fail?" I hated to bring it up but Liz had to realize that the odds were stacked against her.

"Then I would give them a fight they won't forget." Her tone told me that it was the end of our conversation.

I sighed. There was no changing her mind now as I realized the thrist for revenge was now fuelling her life and might be the very reason she was still standing alive.

"Very well, then." I followed her out of the cave.

It was still early in the morning. The storm had lasted an entire night before it finally abated. When we walked through the woods, it became apparent the damage the storm had wrecked upon the once pristine, beautiful forest. Several small trees failed to withstand the might of the gale and were mercilessly uprooted. The forest ground was strewn with leaves, twigs and to my horror, the bodies of pokemon. My eyes widened at the sight of a ratata laying spreadeagle on the ground with her youngs still cowering underneath her body.

"She would have survived if she had decided to make a run for the nearest shelter." Liz motioned at a burrow underneath a large tree standing twenty feet away from us. "But she had chosen to protect her youngs instead..." I could hear the melancholy growing in her voice.

My heart grew heavy with Liz's words. Clearly, maternal instincts were not unique to humans, but have transcended the boundary of the pokemon species as well. There was no way the youngs were going to survive should the ratata made a beeline towards the nearest shelter as the youngs were clearly incapable of moving through the storm without getting blown away by the strong winds. In exchange for her youngs' second chance of life, the mother ratata had chosen to give up on her own.

A tear formed at the edge of Liz's eyes as she and I removed the body of the ratata, revealing a nest of baby ratatas underneath. "Good luck, what doesn't break you makes you stronger," Liz whispered as they scampered into the wild.

We continued our journey through the woods and soon arrived at a clearing where landscape struck a familiar chord in my memory. Every muscle in my body tensed as I looked around and noticed a familiar cliff in my line of vision. Sure enough, the cave we left this morning was perching on top of it.

"Liz, I think.. we were lost," I mumbled weakly.

Her expression changed instantly as she heard my words. She pricked up her ears and motioned for me to come forward.

"Anything wrong? Are we followed?" I asked, now feeling uneasy with our situation.

"No, but do you notice something strange about this forest? It is somehow different from before," she said, now looking uneasy as well.

Now, came to think of it, I could no longer sense the slow, steady beating rhythm of this ancient forest since we left the cave this early morning. The buzz of the insect pokemon which almost drowned out our conversation the first time we arrived here was now gone, so was the crows and chirps of the bird pokemon making this forest their homes. Instead, it was eerily silent. I have attributed this phenomena to the storm the night before, but when Liz mentioned it to me, I began to notice that something was seriously wrong.

"What do … we do now?" I asked.

"Quiet, I think we are being watched now," she whispered urgently. As she said that, I felt a tingling sensation on my scalp, as if someone was boring their eyes into the back of my head.

"Now, slowly, take two steps away from the tree behind you," Liz said as she dropped to all four and assumed a battle stance. She looked ready for every eventuality.

I took two tentative steps forward and out of a sudden an oversized noctowl emerged from the tree and swooped down at me. I gulped when her sharp talons missed me by inches. I would had been his tasty meal if I didn't move out of the way moments ago.

Her suspicions confirmed, Liz fired a thundershock at the noctowl. Both of us were shocked when the noctowl didn't dodge the attack but chose to take it head-on. The attack connected with its target but the damage done was almost negligible. However, I noticed a flash of irritation in the noctowl's eyes. He was now a very angry pokemon.

"Run!" Liz screamed. I didn't need to be told what I should do.

We ran like there was no tomorrow. The noctowl was still chasing after us relentlessly and had been steadily narrowing the distance separating him from his potential lunch.

"This is not going to work. Ace, ready your ember attack and let him had a taste of your fire power!" Liz told me as the noctowl drew closer.

Liz's right! It dawned on me that I haven't tried my ember attack since my last encounter with the beedrillls. I turned to the noctowl and opened my jaws.

But nothing happened.

"I don't know why but my attack doesn't seem to work!" I shouted in frustration. Why wouldn't the flames come out this time as it did the last time?

The noctowl landed in front of us victoriously soon enough. We were now cornered with our backs against the trees. As if savouring his victory, the noctowl advanced slowly towards us, his talons outstretched…

Just as I thought I was going to end up in the oversized bird's stomach, the ground underneath Liz's and my feet suddenly opened. The noctowl lunged forwards but gravity had already taken its hold of us. Liz and I fell through the ground and were picking up speed as we fell further. Terror seized my mind when I considered the possibility that our journey wouldn't end until we found ourselves in the centre of the earth. My free fall, however, came to an abrupt stop when I felt a sharp impact on my head.

I blacked out as jolts of pain shot through my body, overwhelming my senses…

**Author's Note: Hmm... What will happen next? Any guesses?**


	6. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry for not updating this for a long time. I have been very busy.**

Chapter 4- Rescued

Ace's POV

"He will be alright. From what I have observed, he had merely passed out from a minor concussion. There's nothing to worry about." A pleasant, yet unfamiliar voice woke me from my deep slumber.

I opened my eyes and found myself in a small, circular room. My head had been bandaged from the injury I received. Liz was standing in front of my bed with her back to me, talking urgently to a chansey who I figured to be the owner of the pleasant voice I heard before.

"If that is so, can you please explain why has he not awakened yet?" Liz inquired with a shrill tone, obviously not feeling satisfied with the chansey's diagnosis.

"Well, from what I had gathered from Team Aquiline, the two of you have been on the run for days, right? It looks like fatigue might have gotten the better of our little friend here. Do not worry, still, he should come round eventually. It might take a longer time, though," the chansey explained.

"Looks like it is my fault, then. I shouldn't have pushed Ace too hard," Liz said shamefully. Her ears drooped low and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's not your fault, silly. God knows if the two of you would had managed to evade capture if you hadn't maintained the pace. As I have said, Ace is doing fine. It will be unreasonable if you choose to place all the blame on yourself."

"Is there anything I can do for him? Just to make him feel better?" Liz sniffled.

"Nothing at the moment. For some extra therapeutic effect though, you may want to go hold his hands and tell him how much he matters to you. It might just provide the much-needed willpower for him to triumph over the drowsiness," the chansey said in mirth and winked at Liz. " I will be dropping by at noon to check at you two lovebirds," she added as she left the room and closed the doors behind her.

Liz's face turned pink. "We are not in love!" she retaliated.

"Liz," I mumbled weakly. I was trying hard not to fall back into sleep again, but my brain suggested otherwise. I simply needed more rest.

"Ace, you have finally awaken!" Liz hurried to my side. I tried to keep my eyes opened but against my will, my vision blurred I was once again whisked away to dreamland.

I was drifting across the night sky, or so it may seem. There was no moonlight illuminating my way, let alone any stars. Around me were swirling masses of thunderclouds,of which I had made a mental note to avoid right from the beginning. Somehow, they strike a familiar chord in my memory and instinctively I knew that once I went into one, I would lose my way in the swirling mass of turbulence and would not have come out from another end of it.

"Who dares invade my territory?" A hushed voice rang in my ears.

Out of a sudden, I felt a mental presence in my mind, so strong to the extent that it wrestled control of my mind and lazily flipped through my memories with ease, as though it was a book. However, the mental grip lessened after a while and I could tell from the tone of the mysterious creäture that he was profoundly shocked by something he had found out from checking through my memories.

"Ace, was that you? Where the hell was you all these times? We lost track of you the very moment you entered the Passage of Time. Not even I, the master of the timestream knew how it happened! Tell me, what has transpired? And why are you trapped in the body of a charmander?" The voice was so loud that it threatened to bust my eardrum.

"Who… who are you? Do… do I know you?" I could only stutter.

"What's wrong with you, Ace? I am Dialga, the one who sent you back in time! Now tell me about your quest, how was it? What had gone wrong with our plans?" he demanded.

"You are Dialga? Our plans?" I said uncertainly. "What are you talking ab-" I never got to finish those words. Around me, the thunderclouds churned and peals of thunder began to crack, one of which hit me squarely in my chest. I spiralled out of control and fell head-on into a thundercloud nearby.

I awoke with a start, which made Liz and the chansey jumped (literally). The floor creaked under the chansey's weight as she landed with a thump.

"Ace, are you alright? You have been er, talking in your sleep," Liz said with concern.

"And I might add that your sleeptalking didn't make any sense to me. A particularly bad dream, huh?" the chansey added sympathetically when she noticed that I was still trembling like a leaf.

"Dialga was speaking to me," I tried my best to remember, but the harder I tried, the more it slipped away from my memory. " I think he mentioned a plan, and I was… part of it."

"Oh dear, it is clear that you need more rest. A nightmare certainly won't help in this situation. More bedrest, perhaps?" she mused.

"No, I am fine," I insisted. I have been unconscious for God knew how long, and I couldn't bear the thoughts of spending another day bedridden, doing nothing productive at all.

"Is the pain on your head still bothering you?" she asked.

"Not at all, I am feeling as good as new." To illustrate my point, I clambered out of my bed and rushed to the door, only to stop when she shot me a stern gaze.

"Back to your bed, now," the chansey barked. "You too as well," she said to Liz.

I faltered under her unwavering gaze and reluctantly shuffled back to my bed. There's no use arguing with a doctor, so I might as well heed her advice for now.

"Sweet dreams," the chansey said after making sure that we are properly tucked in our beds. I could hear the sound of key turning after she closed the door behind her.

"She obviously won't trust us now, thanks to you," Liz said.

I had not the energy to argue with Liz.

"Where are us?" I asked. Obviously, we were rescued and presumably we were in some sort of pokemon hospital, but I needed to ask Liz just to be sure.

"Erm, ..actually, you see," Liz began twiddling her thumbs, "I do not know as well," she said sheepishly. "My best bet is that we are now in a hospital."

"Thanks, I figured out just as much," I said sarcastically. "Why hadn't you asked our wonderful caretaker that question? Surely she would have answered you."

Liz looked down at the ground. "Well, I was worried about you and the only thing which crossed my mind at that moment was your well-being. That.. that was why I hadn't asked her where we are." Her reply came in a whisper.

I felt ashamed with myself for being so mean to Liz when all she did was to care for me.

"I am sorry," I said.

"It is fine," replied Liz. "friends ought to forgive each other, right?" she looked at me quizzically.

"Yes," I answered. I could feel a lump rising in my throat.

As I looked back at what had happened to me, I couldn't wonder how life would had turned out for me if Liz wasn't by my side from the beginning. Although I was unsure of how my future life would unfold, and what tomorrow would bring, I felt strangely contented at the moment for I knew, I wouldn't be alone.


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- The High Commander

**Author's Note: Here's chapter 5 of the fanfiction. Enjoy!**

Liz'z POV

Ace and I were discharged the following morning. Ace was grumpy as I woke him from his sleep, but was nonetheless happy when he learnt that he would be freed from the confines of the ward in a short moment.

"I know you are excited to go but can you please lie still for a while and let me finish my final checkup?" the chansey sighed exasperately as she undid Ace's bandage and gently prodded the wound with a cotton swab. Ace's brows furrowed in pain when she did so. Still, he didn't dare to show it as he knew that chansey would probably enforce another day of bedrest should she knew that his wound hadn't completely healed yet. I would had said that he did a great job hiding his pain if his tail flame hadn't swelled to two times its original size during the checkup.

Luckily ( for him), the chansey took no notice of this. She scribbled something on a notepad she was carrying as she walked away from him. "It looked as if you have fully recovered," she said.

"Great! I take it that we are allowed to go now?" he asked eagerly.

"Not so soon yet," the chansey replied. "There's still one er.. final special medical procedure to be performed." As she said it, a medical cart was wheeled into my field of vision. At an instant, I understood what the "special procedure" was when I saw two syringes lying upon a tray on the cart. I gulped at the sight of the three-inch-needles attatched to the end of them.

I had hated needles ever since I was born. The thought of getting my skin pierced by those mean, prickly needles and to have fluid delivered in such an intrusive manner into my body sickened me to no end. I fidgeted nervously on my bed as the chansey went to retrieve the tray from the cart.

Ace noticed my uneasiness. "What's the matter?" he asked, obviously still blissfully ignorant of what was about to happen. I sighed. I might just as well tell him what to expect when my needle phobia activated.

I took a deep breath.

"Okay, promise me that you won't laugh if I tell you this," I said. "And on no account should you tell, or distribute any information I am about to relate to you in any way to the others, be it through interpersonal, intrapersonal or written means."

"Go ahead, I am all ears." he seemed to be slightly amused at my presumably overly exaggerated antics.

"I am … afraid of needles," I whispered, "I might er… thrash like a child when chansey… administer the shot later, so I figure… you might want to know it first, just so you don't think too badly of… me," I spoke, all the while staring at the floor.

I saw Ace's pupils dilated in fear as he heard my words.

"Well, I have the same problem as well." He smiled weakly as chansey walked back to us, cradling the tray in her arms. His limbs were visibly trembling at the moment.

"Okay, kids, listen up. In order to make you feel healthier, stronger er… and stuff, I have decided that it is the best course of action to give the both of you each a shot. You should be feeling as right as rain after the shot, so please be co-operative, okay?" the chansey spoke to us gently as she flashed us a sweet smile, apparently hoping to charmspeak us into accepting the shot without a fight.

"So, who's up first?" she asked in a cheerful tone.

"Ladies first." I could not believe what Ace had said. "Sorry, but I don't feel like going first," he mouthed those words as chansey turned her head towards me.

Smiling brightly at me, the chansey came towards me. I squirmed like a worm as she secured me to the bed with a firm arm. From the corner of my eyes, I could see her holding up the syringe with her free hand and hovering it over my arm, probably looking for a suitable site for the injection.

"NOOOOOOOOO…" I screamed at the top of my voice as I redoubled my efforts to escape the tight grip, but of course, to no avail…

Twenty minutes later, Ace and I staggered out of the ward, feeling slightly sheepish as we passed by a small crowd of pokemon who had gathered along the corridor, trying to identify the cause of the commotion in our ward. I had to ignore the questioning looks ane even some menacing glares they shot me as I hurried along the corridor. Apparently, our screams and bawls had awakened these pokemon from their sleep. Ace kept smiling ruefully to them as we walked by, a reddish hue was visible on his face.

"Well, it actually hurt less than I had expected. We shouldn't have … overreacted, you know? Especially for you, you had made quite a scene back in the ward," he said.

"Excuse me, it was way easier not to freak out when you at least know what to expect! And it was very gentlemanly of you to allow me to go first," I retorted, my words seething with venom.

"Well, it isn't fair if you choose to look at it like that…"

We argued the whole way on our way out of the hospital, only to stop when we arrived at the exit. The chansey who had the honour of giving us the shots was talking animatedly to an alakazam standing ( levitating?) by the doors. The alakazam broke out in laughter after listening to what she had spoken.

"Alright, look who's there. It's our little heroes!" The chansey giggled when she noticed us standing near by.

"Greetings. I am Sean from Team Aquiline. Nice to meet you," he said, still trying hard to keep a straight face.

Team Aquiline? Something clicked in my head. That phrase sounded familiar.

"So, you are the one who had saved us! Thank you very much. We couldn't have made it out of there if you haven't found us," Ace said appreciatively as he regarded Sean with newfound reverence.

"Yea, thanks a lot." I couldn't imagined what would have happened if we were not rescued. Chances were, we would had been teared to shreds by the noctowl coming after us.

"Save your thanks for later. It was our team leader, Lucy who found you guys lying unconscious on the forest floor. I was only responsible for sending you back here to the base when I was summoned to help," Sean responded.

"I figure my job ends here then. I shall leave them to you. Phew, what a relief," the chansey said.

"Thanks for all the care during our stay here, and sorry for all the… trouble we have caused," I said as she returned to the hospital building.

" No need to thank, it's part of my job description. Good luck in all your future endeavours," she smiled and winked at the both of us, " I would not say that it has been a pleasurable experience looking after the both of you, but I am certainly glad that we have met."

"Er, what does chansey mean by leaving us to you? And where's the base you are speaking about?" Ace inquired as Sean motioned to us to follow him.

"Our base is right here, of course. Where do you expect it to be?" He let out a merry laugh. "The building you were staying in for the past two days is none other than our very own hospital." Sean's chest puffed up with pride as he spoke.

"I still don't get it. What is this base built for?" I asked.

"This base is called P.E.A.R., the short for headquarters of Pokemon Exploration And Rescue. As the name implies, what we do here primarily revolves around dungeon exploration and rescue work. As of now, there are about three hundred rescue and exploration teams working at the base. It is quite a shame that we used to have double the number," Sean sighed.

"Why has the number of teams dropped so severely?" I asked the question out of reflex.

Sean seemed to be troubled by the question. "Well, under the current climate where a war is imminent, it's quite unreasonable for us to expect any new recruits, right? Besides that, many teams get disillusioned and quitted when the High Commander decided to, err.. implement an interesting policy. Speaking of which, we are paying a visit to the High Commander's office. The Wise One herself has requested a meeting with the both of you," Sean answered.

"The High Commander wanted to see us?" I couldn't be more surprised when I heard that. "Why?"

Sean chuckled. " If you want my best bet, I would say that she would like to extend her invitation to the both of you to work at our base. After all, you guys dared to oppose the hunters, right? Not many pokemon would have had the courage to do so at such a tender age, and still manage to evade capture all the time. Obviously, you guys have the makings of a very promising rescue or exploration team," Sean spoke with admiration.

" But to think that the both of you wailed like a crybaby in face of a little shot despite all the incredible challenges you two have gone through, well, to me frankly , was quite funny." He tried to stifle a chuckle. My face turned a fierce shade of scarlet. Chansey must have told Sean what had happened.

"Well, we have arrived. Before we enter the room, just a word of caution, the High Commander well, can be quite eccentric at times, so remember to tread carefully while you are speaking to her. And don't forget to mind your manners!" Sean stopped before two polished doors which we were about to enter.

"Anything else we need to know?" I asked. I really didn't want to mess up our first meeting with the Commander.

"I guess there's nothing else. Oh, just so you know, she hated shots a lot. You can take solace in the fact that you are not the only one who thrashes like a child when it comes to getting shots," Sean said. "And when that happens, she can be quite hard to restrain," he added with glee.

"I heard what you were talking." The doors flung open out of the blue, revealing a dragonair floating serenely in the mid-air. The High Commander glared down at Sean with eyes like bullet.

I gulped. It looked as if we were not going to have a pleasant first meeting.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Rose's Fate

**Author's Note: Here's a new chapter! I hope you guys will enjoy it :)**

Ace's POV

" High.. High Commander," Sean stammered. "How pleasant is it to see you!"

"How dare you distort the facts!" The dragonair glided effortlessly across the room and advanced upon Sean, whose face had been drained of all colours.

"How many times do I need to tell you that there are exactly three hundred and fifty-two rescue and exploration teams together combined, working here? For your information, three hundred and fifty-two, rounded off to the nearest hundred, equals four hundred, not about three hundred as you had claimed exactly three minutes and thirty-five seconds before ! It is a travesty of our members' general Mathematical ability when such a silly computational mistake is being made. I expect something better from a pokemon who is supposedly endowed with an IQ of 5000!" The High Commander's voice boomed like thunder. Sean cringed as those words continued to reverberate around the courtyard we were standing in even after she had finished.

"Your keen sense of hearing and computational ability is truly… unparalleled, Wise One." Sean chose his words carefully, not hoping to incur the wrath of the dragonair anymore.

I made a mental note to be extra careful with what I spoke from now on if I were within a distance of three hundred feet from the High Commander's office.

"You have done a pretty good job describing our base and myself in general to our guests, though, I must admit." Upon hearing those words, Sean sweatdropped. I couldn't tell from the dragonair's indecipherable facial expression whether her words were genuine compliment or just a sarcastic remark.

"So, the two of you are the little heroes who had successfully escaped the grasp of those inhuman pokemon hunters? Aww, how cute are you guys." The High Commander let out a squeal of delight when she noticed Liz and I trying to distance ourselves from her.

Cute? That was the last word I was going to use to describe myself. Apparently, Liz wasn't pleased with what the dragonair had said as well. She cleared her throat loudly.

"You guys reminded me of my salad days when I was just a dratini. Ah, I missed those good old days…" I could see the stars in her eyes.

"Um, High Commander, no offence intended but I think we should be discussing your plans for Ace and Liz right now. And this ought to be properly done behind the closed doors of your office," Sean tried to speak as amiably as he could.

"Sure, let's get into the office and have a nice, long chat. After you guys." She grinned.

"I think we'd better… oh, well," Liz tried to protest but complied anyway when Sean silenced her with a "just-do-it" look. I guessed the High Commander wouldn't take no as an answer.

The High Commander's office was streamlined for efficiency. The office was vacant except for a long office table occupying the centre of the room, two spanking new high leatherback chairs in front of it which I swore wasn't in the office the moment we entered it, several bookshelves filled with scrolls and books, another working table piled high with boxes labelled "Top Secret" and a bathtub filled with molten lava at one corner of the room ( I didn't even want to know why it was there for). Liz's gaze froze upon the molten lava gurgling happily in the gigantic bathtub.

"What… what is that for?" She pointed at the lava-filled bathtub, barely able to suppress her surprise as she asked the question.

"Oh, that's my bath place! Hmm, speaking of that, I haven't taken a bath for days. It's probably a good idea now to wash away the grime on my body," said the High Commander thoughtfully.

"Wise One…" Sean was speechless. "Not now, not… in front of all of us."

The High Commander sighed unhappily, "I guess so."

"Um… let's get started now?" Liz suggested timidly. Sean and I nodded enthusiastically at the idea.

"Alright, take a seat and make yourselves comfortable." Liz and I did as she instructed and clambered up the high leatherback chairs.

"How do we start? Well, upon careful consideration, The Council members have deemed the both of you skilled enough to be part of our guild. Having said that, I am here to offer you memberships of P.E.A.R. You can either choose to accept or decline this offer. However, bear in mind that once you accept the offer, you will have to live by the rules of the guild, defend the honour and if necessary, sacrifice your comfort for the betterment of the guild. The choice is yours to make." The High Commander seemed bored as she rattled off the requirements.

"I guess I will have to say… no," Liz answered. I didn't expect that coming from Liz. How could she turn down such an enticing offer? We would be free from our pursuers , for the very least. I would have joined the guild for that reason alone.

"Alas ,I have expected that," the High Commander said, "you would leave Ace here and set out on a journey on your own to avenge your sister capture, right?"

Liz nodded slowly.

I was startled at this relevation. I knew Liz had made it clear to me at the beginning that she would make the goal of tracking down the hunters her top priority, but the thought of her leaving me alone here horrified me. I had depended on her so much during our journey together that I couldn't imagined what would become of me if she chose to leave me behind.

"Liz…" I mumbled.

"Ace, please don't make it any more difficult for me. I hate to… leave you behind, but I have to. Please… forgive me," said Liz as she fought hard to choke back her tears.

"If you don't wish to stay, nobody can force the decision upon you. I would advise against it, though," said the High Commander. "If avenging your sister's death is all you want, that is unnecessary as she is still alive. Don't ask me how do I know it, I just do."

Liz's expression brightened up in an instant. "How is she doing now? Is she hurt?" She fired off those two questions in rapid succession, anxious to know how her sister was doing.

"She is fine. Don't bother to look for her, though. She won't recognise you as those hunters had altered her memories before selling her off to a little girl. She is now a pokemon of a loving trainer and was compelled to serve her new trainer. Even if she is released, she won't be able to remember that she used to have an elder sister, let alone the happy days the both of you had spent together. If I were you, I would leave her alone to enjoy her new life. At least you can take solace in knowing that she is leading a happy life. I know that this hurts but you will have to move on with life some point in the future," the High Commander spoke in a deliberate, though not unkindly tone.

Liz broke down in tears as the High Commander finished her words. "Ros...Rose," she sniffled. "Why…"

I couldn't help but sympathized with Liz although I knew it all along that it would be quite improbable for the both of them to reunite again. Even so, a little part of me died as the High Commander announced that Rose's memory prior to her capture was wiped clean. Rose would never be her own self again even if Liz managed to track her down. In some sense, this is worse than death itself.

"How… how do you know this, Wise One?" Sean asked.

"I have my own sources. And it is in your best interest not to question about them," the dragonair replied. Sean's mouth clamped shut at once.

"Why… why would the…hun… hunters do this to me? Are all humans..su… such cold-blooded creatures who…who enjoy going around and tearing other pokemon families apart?" Liz asked, all the while sobbing uncontrollably.

For once, the High Commander failed to come up with a satisfactory response within three seconds. She looked pensive as she considered Liz's question.

"I would say no. Trust me, for every evil human out there, there are ten more who are good-natured and wouldn't have waged the war at the first place. This I am confident about," she finally said.

"What had happened ? And what's this so-called war you mentioned between humans and pokemon? Why do humans and pokemon hate one another so much? Tell me!" I demanded, tired of being the ignorant one all the time.

"You don't know about the war? Where have you been the past few months?" Sean asked disbelievingly.

"I… I was an amnesiac. I woke up just a few days ago with all my memories wiped clean. That was when I encountered Liz," I explained. Actually, that was only half the truth. But what's the point of mentioning the fact that I was a human just for them to scoff at me ? No one I think, not even the High Commander would believe a single word I said.

The High Commander bored her small, beady eyes into mine. "Hmm, that's surely an unusual occurrence. I have never heard of an amnesiac pokemon before." My eyes started to water as she continued to deliver her piercing glare right into my eyes, as though looking for any hint of concealed truth.

"I guess for Ace's sake, I should recount the history of humans and pokemon conflict. That I believe, will answer the questions you ask. Be warned though that my narrative will be a long one," the High Commander said after finally averting her gaze.


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Once Upon A Time

Ace's POV

"Once upon a time," the High Commander began to recount, "long before any human has ventured here, this continent was native to pokemon only. The frigid zones of the northern land were inhabited by ice-type pokemon whereas fire-type pokemon roamed the volcanic areas towards the west. The undulating mountains running along the east coast were of course the homes of the rock and steel types while the water types made the vast ocean their home. The rest of the pokemon species roamed freely across the vast plain which stretched the entire length of the central part of the continent."

"What do you… mean _by long before any human has ventured here_? I thought humans had been… around as long as time itself ?" Liz inquired, her eyes still wet with tears. Even Sean looked puzzled as well.

"This is a lesser-known, albeit true fact. If you have studied the history of this continent carefully, you would only see the tell-tale signs of human inhabitance from the last three hundred years. How would you account for the lack of artifacts from the previous eras if humans were native to this land?" the High Commander asked.

"Before humans' arrival at this continent, the pokemon living during the ancient times were not cultured in the slightest. Our ancestors lived in an era where food was abundant and the concept of "survival of the fittest" was virtually non-existent. Whenever food was needed, our ancestors could just get them from branches drooping low with fruits or from lush forests where vegetation is aplenty. As there's little mental exertion involved while our ancestors foraged for food, they did not find it necessary to develop any mastery of tools or to explore new lands beyond their own backyards which would sustain their needs for as long as they wanted. Our ancestors from that era did not receive a lot of mental stimulation. As a result, their brains were less-developed. Pokemon living at that era generally didn't treasure knowledge and technology as much as we do today. Their desire to learn and to acquire more knowledge simply didn't exist." The High Commander continued her narration.

"What does this has to do with the war?" I asked, feeling rather impatient as the High Commander wouldn't cut to the point.

"We are still a long way from there. In order to understand the conflict between humans and pokemon, we ought to look at the brief history of these two species first. Only by doing so, we can discover how the arrival of humans had affected the lives of pokemon and vice versa. Doesn't it make sense?" she explained.

"It does." Sean nodded. I therefore decided that it was best for me to shut up and just listen.

"As our ancestors' minds were not very well-developed, most of them relied on pure strength blindly to get things to work. Strength was their most trusted tool. They had depended on it to build their homes and had relied on it to keep their territories safe from other hostile pokemon. A belief which was prevalent during that era was that fighting pokemon were superior to the others on account of their great strength. They were then presumed to be better mates, and a spike in fighting pokemon living during that era had resulted. Psychic-type pokemon were still unheard of back then as our ancestors' minds had not reached the level of sophistication to develop into psychic types. Little did they knew that their notion that fighting-type pokemon were undefeated would be challenged very soon."

"The arrival of the humans was the cause, right?" Sean asked shrewdly.

The dragonair nodded before continuing her narration. "Around three hundred years ago, the first batch of humans set foot upon this beautiful continent. It was love at first sight for those humans who had sailed across the vast ocean in the first place to escape the miserable life in their homelands. Tired of lives plagued with poverty, famine and fatal epidemics, they had set sail in search for a greener pasture. Imagine their joy when they discovered such a perfect paradise where food is aplenty. To them, this place seemed too good to be true. There's only one problem though, the land was already inhabited by pokemon. Naturally, our ancestors did not respond kindly to what they presumed to be an invasion on their territory. As I had said, most of the pokemon at that time were fighting types. They were born naturally a protective brood with hot blood coursing through their veins, itching to settle any disputes which arose with a fight. Led by their leader Gilgamesh the Machamp, those pokemon ravaged the humans' settlements, wrecking such amount of destruction that the humans were forced to retreat. This attack on the humans' settlements some three hundred years ago marked the first clash between humans and pokemon."

"You must be thinking that the humans had given up at that moment. How would they stand a chance against the pokemon who had called this continent their homes for centuries? However,unlike pokemon, humans were a resourceful and tenacious species. They were extremely adaptable to difficult situations, owing to the hardships they had to go through back in their homelands. The humans immediately regrouped after the attack and soon figured out a new strategy which would help keep their homes beyond the reach of pokemon. With renewed rigour, they returned to the settlements and rebuilt their farms and houses, this time taking care to barricade their properties carefully. The pokemon soon found out to their surprise that the humans had returned. One crushing defeat, it seemed, had done nothing to demoralize them at all. The pokemon decided it was high time to show the humans, once and for all who were the rightful owners of the land. Confident of their own abilities, the pokemon took little notice of the humans' effort to strengthen their settlements and charged once more, believing that their assault this time would end before it had even started. But of course they were wrong. The pokemon' punches and kicks weren't even a match for the metal barricades set up strategically by the humans," the High Commander continued.

"Shockwaves were sent through the pokemon community. For the first time, they discovered that pure strength wasn't the solution to everything. The leader of the pokemon this time, who was also incidentally one of the first few psychic pokemon existed at that time, Gardevoir the Great, understood this perfectly. He foresaw that strength alone could not carry them any farther beyond what they had achieved. Being a far-sighted leader himself, he could see the value in working with, not against the humans. He therefore proposed to his fellow pokemon a plan which would change the future of the entire pokemon species for centuries to come. His plan was exceedingly simple, yet elegant. The humans would share their knowledge and technology with the pokemon in exchange for the rights to stay in the continent. The humans got to settle down without any further disturbance while the pokemon got to learn the necessary skills to build a better life, how perfect! Gradevoir The Great managed to convince all the pokemon , though not without difficulties, that the plan was carried out with their best interests at heart. The humans on the other hand, agreed readily with the plan. To them, nothing was more precious than the freedom to settle down in what they deemed a perfect paradise."

"What Gardevoir The Great did revolutionized how pokemon thought and acted ever since. The most palpable change was the realization that knowledge, not strength alone played a critical role in determining one's success. All books concerning history of pokemon would had to be re-written if Gardevoir The Great had not the insight to seal the pact with the humans three hundred years ago. If it was not for his insistence in working with the humans, we pokemon now would still wallow in the quicksands of ignorance. In recognition of his contribution, Gardevoir The Great was now affectionately referred as the Father of Modern Pokemon. On the whole, the pokemon species has benefited a lot from this pact. The power of knowledge was astounding. With it, our ancestors quickly ascended to new heights. Since we pokemon are pretty good students ourselves, our ancestors managed to grasp what passed down by our human teachers very quickly. Our knowledge soon matched that of humans, though we could still not match their creativity and their flair for inventing new objects. However, the exponential knowledge explosion we had undergone the past three hundred years had made our lives a lot easier. We could do things at rates we couldn't even dreamt of before, especially since the advent of machines. If we compare ourselves with our ancestors, it will be hard not to be surprised how much the pokemon species had advanced in mere three hundred years."

"How would humans understand pokemon, though? If humans and pokemon could hardly communicate, how could pokemon learn from humans?" Liz asked.

"Good point. As we know, we ordinary pokemon could not communicate with humans. However, it was rumoured that there was a group of special pokemon which could do so. They were called-"

"Legendary pokemon," I said. Those words just sprang to my lips and escaped my mouth without me knowing it.

"For a amnesiac, you sure know a lot of things." The High Commander regarded me with newfound interest.

"Anyway, Ace is correct. Legendary pokemon were said to have relayed the teachings of humans to ordinary pokemon during the early stages after the pact was sealed until our ancestors managed to figure out means to communicate with humans effectively via psychic powers. We could not, however, verify whether this was true or not. For one, we couldn't find any mentions of such legendary pokemon in ancient texts. Moreover, the legendary pokemon, provided they existed, had simply vanished without a trace after helping our ancestors out and no pokemon had seen them ever since. I believed there could be only two explanations to this. The first explanation was simple- the legendary pokemon were mythical creatures which never existed. The second explanation was that they did exist but for whatever reason, were forbidden from coming into contact with the rest of the pokemon species. Most of us were predisposed to believe the first explanation," she said.

"Now that you have understood the brief history of both humans and pokemon on this continent, it's time to reveal to you the conflict between the both. Actually, the relationship between humans and pokemon wasn't very friendly from the start. To the humans, there was always a primal fear that someday the knowledge of pokemon would surpass that of theirs. The pokemon, on the other hand, claimed that the humans had not given in their best efforts in teaching them. Before the war had even started, there was already a general feeling of mistrust between the two species."

"For the last three hundred years, humans and pokemon had, at the very least, co-existed, though they weren't the best of friends. All these, however changed abruptly when the new human king, Jonas ascended the throne three months ago. As soon as he was proclaimed the new king, King Jonas accused the legendary pokemon, which we could not even be sure of their existence, of stealing a supposedly "unnameable" treasure from the hands of humans more than two hundred and fifty years ago. As the whereabouts of the legendary pokemon could not be tracked, he conveniently shifted his target to us ordinary pokemon. We were given the ultimatum of handing over the "unnameable" treasure which we had not even heard about or to face the wrath of the king himself."

"He was just making all these up for a good excuse to wage a war on the pokemon species," Liz said in an angry tone.

"Or he was joking. Initially, we thought that this was some kind of joke and dismissed it. We only realized that he actually meant business when he ordered a mass capture of all pokemon in the wild. That was why the pokemon hunters came into existence. They were ordered to capture every single pokemon they came across in the wild. Not a single pokemon was allowed to escape. You can imagine their shock when you successfully escaped their capture," said the High Commander.

"Why did he ordered all pokemon to be captured? What was his plan with them?" I asked.

"The stronger pokemon are inducted into the king's own pokemon army while the weaker ones are sold as pets or companion pokemon, as in Rose's case. Those stronger pokemon are forced to serve him against their own wills via psychic mind control. We heard that the king himself is an accomplished psychic pokemon trainer. He is currently building his army and when the time is right, he plans to unleash his entire troop of pokemon and human army upon us."

"Have we mounted an attack on them yet? At the current rate he is building his army, we will be doomed if we don't act fast," Liz said.

"I decided not to. That was the _interesting policy_ Sean mentioned to you guys before. I made this decision as we did not even understand half of what has happened. All we understand is that the king had waged a war against us, ordered a capture on all pokemon in the wild and will march on us when he is ready. However, we do not know exactly how he has planned to play this game of chess with us. When exactly did he plan to attack? If we make a wrong move and strike at the wrong moment, we would leave ourselves vulnerable to other attacks, that would have suited the king's plans well. Moreover, we are not as strong as you think. More teams have been leaving lately. I cannot blame them for fearing for their lives, though," she sighed.

"So, what can we do now?" Liz asked.

"We can only observe. And pray." The room fell silent as the High Commander finished her words.

**Author's Note: I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. After this chapter, I might not be able to update very often although I will try to stick to my "one week, one chapter" plan. Anyway, thank you for taking your time to read this! :)**


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